Tandem



No Model.) W H BINNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

TANDBM.

No. 593,292i Patented Nov. 9,1897.

mnionms P Frans an. Pumumo., wAsumn'roN o c (No Model.) 2 Sheets--SheeJA2.

W. H. BINNS.

TANDBM.

910.593,292. 'Patented Nov. 9, 1997.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`WILLIAM II. BINNS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TANDEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,292, dated November9, 1897.

Application iiled August 10, 1896. Serial No. 602,350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I,WILLIAM H. BnvNS,a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cycle-Frames 5 and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

This invention relates to cycle-frames of the open or drop vorder thatare intended for ladies7 use, and more especially to the tandem type ofcycle-frames in which the front portion is of the open or drop order.

The obj ect of the present improvement is lto provide a simple, strong,and rigid construction of the cycle-frame wherewith ample rigidity andstiffness is imparted to the frame not only in a vertical direction butalso in a lateral direction as well, all as will hereinafter more fullyappear, and be more particularly pointed out in the claims. I attainsuch obj ect by the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in whichv Figure 1 is a general sideelevation of a tandem bicycle embodying the present invention g and Fig.2, an enlarged detail perspective view of the central portion of theframe, illustrating the details of the present invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in both views.

As represented in the drawings, the cycleframe will in the main be ofthe usual form, and as the present invention is more particularlyadapted to tandem bicycles I have used such type of frame forillustrating Vthe application of the present invention. As usuallyformed, such frame comprises a forwardlyarranged drop or open portion 1and a rearwardly-arranged closed or diamond portion 2, rigidly attachedtogether by union-struts 8 and horizontally-extending bars or members 4,the union-struts 3 attaching the steeringhead 5 of the rear portion 2 tothe standard or seat-post 6 of the front portion 1, while the horizontalmembers 4 connect the crankhanger shells 7 and 8 of the respectiveforward and rear portions 1 and 2 together.

As usual in the open or drop type of cycleframes, the front portion 1will have its connection between its hanger-shells 7 and itssteering-head 9 formed by a pair of inclined members 10 and 11, theupper one of which may be either of a straight or curved formation, asmay suit the judgment of the constructor.

A material part of the present invention consists in the formation ofthe horizontallyextending members 4 of a bowed formation in a horizontalplane, the greatest distance between said members being near theirmidlength and which are preferably held in such bowed condition by atransverse stay member 12, inserted between said members at their pointof greatest spread, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. By thisconstruction a very light and rigid construction may be imparted to thecycle-frame, so that the weight thereof can be materially reducedwithout affecting the degree of strength and rigidity that is requiredin a cycle-frame.

Another portion of the present invention consists in a pair of brace ortie members 13, located'some distance above the front hangershell 7 ofthe frame. In my preferred construction, as shown in the drawings, thebrace or tie members 13 will be attached midway their length to thesides of the seat-post or standard 6 by a union 14, while 'theirrespective ends are attached at front to the inclined connecting members10 and 11 and at the rear to the horizontal connecting members 4, theattachment at front being to a union or head l5, while at the rear theyare connected to the bowed or curved horizontal members 4 at a pointintermediate of the length of such horizontal members, as illustrated inFig. 2 of the "drawings,

Another feature of the present invention relates to a bearing-head 16,secured in place between the counterpart brace members 13 to afford alower bearing for the steering-stem 17 of the rearwardly-arrangedsteering-handles 18 of the tandem, which steering-stem will be providedon its lower end with the usual cross-arm 19 or other like device, whichin turn is connected by pull-rods 2O with a crossarm on theforwardly-arranged steering-stem of the tandem. This connecting togetherof the steering-handles of tandems so as tooperate in unison is quitecommon, and no novelty IOO is claimed for the connections shown otherthan the special means employed to support the lower end of therearwardlyarranged steering-stem.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tandem-bicycle frame, the combination of the front and rearportions 1 and 2, and a pair of horizontal members 4, that connect thepedal-shaft barrels of the tandem frame together, such members 4, beingbowed outwardly in a horizontal plane, with the greatest distancebetween such members near the mid-length of the same, substantially asset forth.

2. In a tandem-bicycle frame, the combination of the front and rearframe portions 1 and 2, a pair of horizontal members 4, that connect thepedal-shaft barrels of the tandem frame together, such members 4, beingbowed outwardly in a horizontal plane, with the greatest distancebetween such members near the mid-length of the same, and a transverseStay member 12, arranged between the members 4, near the mid-length ofthe same, substantially as set forth.

v 3. In a cycle-frame, the combination with the inclined frontconnecting members 10 and l1, horizontal rear members 4, bowed outwardlyin a horizontal plane, with the greatest distance between such membersnear the mid-length of the same, and hanger-shell 7, connecting saidfront and rear members together, of a pair of brace or tie members 13,that are secured at their front ends to the members 10 and 1l,intermediate the length of the same, and at their rear ends to theoutwardly-bowed portion of the same, said tie members extending acrossthe hanger-shell 7, some distance above the same, substantially as setforth.

4. In a cycle-frame, the combination with the inclined front connectingmembers 10 and l1, horizontal rear members 4, bowed outwardly in ahorizontal plane with the greatest distance between such members nearthe mid-length of the same, the standard or seatpost 6, and hanger-shell7, connecting the said frame members together, of a pair of brace or tiemembers 13, attached midway their length to the seat-post 6, a distanceabove the hanger-shell 7, at their front ends to the members l0 and 11,intermediate the length of the same, and at their rear ends to theoutwardlybowed portions 4 of the frame, substantially as set forth.

5. In a tandem-bicycle frame, the combination with the inclined frontconnecting members 10 and 11, horizontal rear members 4, hanger-shell 7,and pair of brace or tie members 13, secured to said frame membersintermediate the length of the same, and extending across thehanger-shell 7, some distance above the same, of the bearing-head 16,attached to said brace member 13, and the stem of the rearsteering-handles j ournaled in said bearing-head, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof witness my hand this 8th day o f August, 1896.

' WILLIAM I-I. BINNS.

In presence of- ROBERT BURNS, ARTHUR MoCoY.

